The latest gathering of opposition parties in New Delhi offered a reminder that the central challenge before India’s non-BJP political forces is no longer one of arithmetic. It is one of credibility. For years, opposition politics has revolved around alliance-building. The assumption was that if regional parties and the Congress could overcome local rivalries and pool their votes, they would create a formidable electoral challenge.

Yet recent elections have demonstrated that political chemistry cannot be reduced to mathematics. Voters may be dissatisfied with governments, anxious about the economy, worried about unemployment or disturbed by institutional controversies, but dissatisfaction does not automatically translate into votes for the opposition. This reality appears to be dawning on opposition leaders. Their discussions reportedly ranged from examination controversies and economic concerns to questions about electoral processes and the state of democratic institutions.

What ties these disparate issues together is a growing recognition that electoral contests are only one part of a broader political struggle. Winning elections requires winning public confidence. That confidence cannot be secured........

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